Important News
Hi-lites week of May 20, 2010
Lunch News! Hot Lunch ends on Friday, May 29th.
The HIVE closes on Friday, May 29th. Your child will have to bring a lunch (made at home) for both Tuesday, June 1st and Wed., June 2nd.
PUT A GIANT NOTE ON THE REFRIGERATOR!
Thanks to our wonderful lunch volunteers. It's been a great year.
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I recently attended a Theology Day sponsored by St. John's University. The topic was excellence in ministry and what makes an excellent parish. It was intriguing. Fr. Paul and I were scribbling notes like mad.
One theme that continues to circle in my thoughts is this notion of "A Radical Welcome." To truly be a place of excellence, people must continually look for ways to make space for new members. So we are charged to constantly make a space at the table, create space in our various committees and groups, make effort after effort to invite new people to our community. We can get very comfortable being with the old familiar group, but the Holy Spirit can empower us to break circles and show interest in other people. I have always found Highland Catholic School to be a very welcoming place. It is exciting to think about how much more welcoming we can be!
Looking forward to seeing everyone at the End-of-the-Year Picnic. What a perfect setting to practice a radical welcome!
Jane
Schmidt
Principal
Extra Innings will close at 5 p.m. on the last day of school, June 2nd. That way our staff and all students will be able to enjoy the fun at the end-of-the-year picnic!
More Summer Fun
Highland Catholic School has 32 season passes to Como Town left after our Swing event to sell for $30 each. The pass is good for admission to Como Town for the entire 2010 season. Quite a value if you enjoy Como Zoo with your family. Please send a check to school made out to Highland Catholic with Como Town pass in the memo line.
Interested in Helping? Interested in Being Out-of-Uniform on Tuesday?
LCCC will be hosting Families Moving Forward the week of July 11th. It is always a challenge to have the goodies needed to make lunches for the families. HCS Students who bring lunch box items on Tuesday, May 25th, may be out of uniform for the day. We are hoping for all of those
pre-packaged items like pudding, crackers, fruit roll-ups, etc. Thanks for helping.
Helpful Eyeballs
Remember to call the Non-emergency number for the Saint Paul Police Department if you see skateboards or people loitering on our church and school grounds. The phone number is 291-1111.
Honoring our Veterans on Memorial Day
Recently some of our fifth graders wrote letters of appreciation to veterans in our parish community. Here are two heart-felt replies to those students from the vets.
To the Principal of Highland Catholic School,
I recently received a very thoughtful and touching note from a fifth grader, Abigail, thanking me for my military service. It was such a surprise and is so meaningful for Memorial Day. I am very proud of my service in the U.S. Army.
Please pass on my thanks to Abigail. Thank you also for starting this project.
Sincerely,
Karla Wagner
Major (Retired)
U.S. Army
My Dear Will,
I can hardly express my gratitude for your nice commendation on my service to our country. I was pleased and honored to be called to serve and go where I was sent and do as I was told, and return to my home in good health and life a long and comfortable life.
Thanks for your concern,
Sincerely,
Bob McLean
Win a Night out of the Kitchen
Watch for the raffle tickets coming home to support our global Destination Imagination Team. Tickets are being sold now and until the picnic concludes at 7 p.m., when the winners will be announced. Tickets are $1/each or 6/$5. Prizes include: a $25 certificate to Louisiana Café (Great Breakfast) and 8 Chipotle Meals (2 burritos/guacamole/chips/two fountain drinks).
Our winning D.I. Team leaves for Knoxville, Tennessee on Tuesday the 25th. They will compete on Thursday and Friday. You can watch the awards streaming live at www.globalfinals.org Good luck!
Fore!
Fifth grader, Parker Reddig, represented HCS in the CAA golf tournament on Wednesday. It was a beautiful day for golf, and Parker shot an impressive 32!
The Beatles, Doors, Jefferson Airplane...
Correction: Last week's Hi-lites listed the wrong era of music for the Family Feud event in Performing Arts on Tuesday, May 25th. Students will compete against parents'/teachers' knowledge of music from the 60's.
New Sacristans
We would like to acknowledge and thank our new sacristans for school masses for the 2010-11 school year: Allisa Ellingson, Erin Gallagher, E.J. Peris and Joe Evans. They were chosen for their leadership and responsibility. Thank you.
Music in the Air
The Highland Catholic School Beginning Band invites everyone to a very short concert on Wednesday, May 26th, at 10:15 a.m. in the school cafeteria. Thanks to Director Mrs. Buffy Larson and the students for their hard work this year.
Special Thanks from Team Drew
Tony and I just wanted to send a personal thank you to all the families that donated to CCRF and Team Drew. We are deeply touched and humbled by your generosity. All our spare change totaled just shy of $1000, pushing Team Drew over their goal. We appreciate all the donations, prayers and friendship you have provided to our entire family, as we continue on Drew's path to be cancer free. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Tony, Heidi, Jack & Drew
PS. Watch the blog at the end of June for a video of Team Drew in action: http://www.drewgiuliani.blogspot.com/.
Alumni News
- I hope you read the great article on alum, Erica Dombro, a junior on Highland Park Senior High's track team. She is ready to once again break records as the Class AA state champion in the 400. I remember her being fast in kindergarten.
A Lovely Legend
From Izzy Griffin's first grade animal report: An old British story tries to explain why the Robin has a red breast. The story has it that when Jesus was dying on the cross, the Robin, then only brown in color, flew to Jesus' side and sang into his ear, to comfort him in his pain. The blood from his wounds stained the Robin's breast, and now all Robins have the mark of Christ's blood upon them. (You can find other animal reports on the first grade blog.)
Tuition is all due at this time. Thanks for your attention to this.
Dates to Remember
Sunday, May 23 Choir/Band Concert in cafeteria 4 p.m.
Tuesday, May 25 Bring Lunchbox Items and Come out of Uniform
Family Feud
State Cakes for Lunch
Kindergarten Potluck
Friday, May 28 Last Day for our 8th Graders L
Monday, May 31 Memorial Day - No School
Tuesday, June 1 Graduation Breakfast, Mass and Reception
Fourth Grade River Trip
Wednesday, June 2 Last Day! Field Day fun in morning for Grades K-4
Prayer Service at 2 p.m. Students will be dismissed from classrooms.
Please join us!
Extra Innings closes at 5 p.m.
End-of-the-year Picnic 5-7 p.m.
Take Me out to the Ball Game
Several HCS parents have expressed an interest in earning additional money toward their school tuition by working at the concession stands at Target Field, Xcel Arena and the University of Minnesota's new stadium. We have information about this program, The Pioneer Foundation for the Performing Arts, in the school office. Please contact Peggy Gernes for application forms. We have an inside connection too, as Rob Petersen's (our phy.ed. teacher) mother is the creator and director of this program. Check it out!
Responsive Classroom
I have witnessed so many wonderful Morning Meetings during my "walk-arounds" each day in the building. I asked fourth grader, Shea O'Rourke to share his perceptions with Hi-lites.
Room 1 Morning Meeting
by Shea OʼRourke
Every morning we start our day by reading our morning message from Mrs. Diffatte, and do whatever the message tells us to do that day. Sometimes we write something, or write our names, or draw something special for someoneʼs birthday. Then we are excused from our desks to bring our chairs into the cafeteria, where we form a circle and start our morning meeting. Lately we have been doing our morning meeting outside because itʼs been so nice out.
There are three things we do at our meetings: the greeting, share, and activity. For greeting we mostly greet each other with some special way to say hello. One fun way we greet each other is do a dance type greeting or cheer, where we all say, "1,2,3,4, Come on (studentʼs name), hit the floor. Weʼre so glad youʼre here today. Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!" While we do that the person goes into the middle can dance around or act goofy, or do whatever they want to do.
After the greeting, we do share. We share stuff about ourselves with the rest of the class, like about our families, what we did on vacation, what we ate for breakfast, where we are going on summer vacation, or sometimes we share just one word. Sometimes we do joke share. We get to know a lot about each other during share.
After share we do our activity. That is most peopleʼs favorite part of morning meeting. For activity we play fun games or do other activities. One of my favorite games is North- South-East-West, which is also like 4 Corners. One person is in the middle and closes his eyes and counts to 10, while everybody else runs to 4 sides in the cafeteria. Then the person in the middle calls one of the sides, and that side is out of the game. We play until only one person is left. It is a very fun game.
Morning meeting is one of my favorite parts of the day.
Art Displays
You may want to stop into school to see the beautiful three-dimensional work that is on display in the cafeteria. The presentation features weaving, masks, clay figures and other student pieces. I would like to thank HCS art teachers, Jeanne Engel and Alice Stahlman, for their excellent work this year. Look for the self-portraits of our graduating eighth graders on display in the hallway of LCCC. The likenesses are so amazing. It makes me miss them already!
HCS Choir CD
The new choir CD is lovely. I have been enjoying it during my commute and frankly, I no longer care how long I sit in traffic. The students' voices are as clear as a bell! I couldn't resist putting one of the CDs into the mail for Archbishop Neinstedt. He will hear them in person on October 13th. If you are interested in owning a copy, please send $20 to the school office. You will be glad you did!